PerreaultForever

That would be a mistake.

Ya exactly. and we haven't had a real 1C since Eichel left. People have already forgotten that Thompson was made into a center because there was no one else. Cozens has been pushed and rushed since day 1. The team does not address top line needs, they just wait for prospects to develop and that's why we blow it and remain on the outside. It pisses me off because I look at Ottawa and think that should be the Sabres in 3rd and pushing for 2nd not them.

I thought this same thing when we drafted him and saw him as a potential wing and a true sniper. Shifting Thompson to the wing and leaving him at center is changing my mind though. One of the things most of us said at the beginning of the year was KA needed to spend the money and get us one more top 6 scoring winger (and a D partner for Power and maybe a veteran back up goalie) and with his play Thompson is now that top 6 winger. It does seem to be working and if he starts to struggle at center or hits a rookie wall we move Thompson back but so far it looks good. Kulich is without a doubt this season's bright spot.

Absolutely, and it takes too long and in that time somebody else might want out. I'm still not convinced Cozens isn't playing crap on purpose to try to get traded out. ahhh, it was way funnier as "kodak" given Rochester's history.

Reality would seem to indicate that: "get" isn't going to happen. "get rid of" might happen waiting for prospects to develop is probably all that will happen. Kulich is providing new options for roster construction that are promising and might allow for more focus on getting tougher but I don't know if they will actually do that. Kozak can stay. He's better than Lafferty, but his emergence might give KA the illusion that all he has to do is wait for more of these guys. To quote you above though "Kodak" should be in Rochester 🙂

That might be the plan. League not enjoying parity as much as they thought they would. Big markets in the playoffs is big money. I suspect this will make the FA asks get really ridiculous as their agents will start asking for a big piece of all that extra money.

Pretty much the only thing that could get me to care about this game is if one of the Sabres were to get into a scrap and they tossed off their jersey (fine be damned) just because.

Absolutely and too many similar players too. The mantra as we accumulated all those picks was if we have too many good players we can just trade them for needs but so far they've done very little of that (just Savoie) and they should have done it for this year. But, they blew this season (again) and now we will hope they do these things for next year. Futile hope maybe, but it's all we got.

imo I'm holding on to Helenius, Wahlberg and Levi. Anybody else is an option if the right deal for useful NHL veterans comes along.

History of injury problems so it's a risk. I think selling high is the better plan. Unless, I suppose, they feel they really won't get any free agents to sign here with next year's selections. Then I guess you take what you can get.

Oh I think the team's lack of a veteran core has been a primary problem for years but I think Zucker is just a mercenary. Sure he said he'd be interested in re-signing and that's common sense negotiating, and if you over pay him he might stay but in terms of building a team I think it's better to sell high on him and then work on building a proper core afterwards. Greenway is the kind of guy teams want for playoff runs. idk what you can get but it shouldn't be absolute rubbish. Eating salary might be essential in both cases though and maybe they are under orders not to do that.

Not moving Zucker and Greenway would be just pure stupidity. Move out all the UFAs and any other crap you can. You can always bring them back next year if they are actually interested and there are no better options.

Told you Bruins aren't what they used to be. Can't score and slow. They've been blown out like this by almost everyone who skates fast with skill. This is the frustrating thing for me. When Bruins fell, Sabres were supposed to rise. Ottawa appears to be the team seizing the moment instead.

Pick him up, eat half his contract and add him into a Petterson deal?

Except Rutherford has publicly admitted now that there is a locker room problem and that he doesn't see a solution without moving somebody so at least one of the two will be traded, they are just trying to maximize their return. As such I think if Adams really wants to make this happen he could.

Bruins are not the team they used to be and they can be beaten. If the Sabres used their speed and if they forecheck aggressively they can win this game big. Bruins D has trouble with a fast forecheck. Sabres don't do that well usually however but they can still win with the PP and offense they have. Bruins can't score and try to win 2-1 games with shutdown D. Net front always a key. In many ways these teams are polar opposites in just about every way. I actually think the Sabres can win this one as it's a definite trap game for Boston (they have a Winnipeg revenge game coming up) and their top 2 D are still out.

I understand the position you are taking but it just doesn't seem right to me. Nobody else does this.

You all know Bruins are my B team. 2011 was glorious. I kind of remember the 70s as well. Orr through the air was my first ever hockey game that I watched. Steelers multiple times (but not recently). I grew up in the 1970s remember. Hamilton Tiger Cats have been a horrible CFL franchise as of late but I have experienced them winning the Grey Cup a few times. Small interest in the Raptors winning as my son in law is a big fan. We bonded there a little. I pretend to be a Celtics fan though just to have fun with him. Sabres losing to Philly was painful. I felt bad for the Bills 4 losses in a row. Bills were kind of my B team in football. I was a big Bruce Smith fan. Also I hated Dallas (still do). Those were hard to watch. Otherwise, Team Canadas in Olympics and World stuff.

"better" is a funny word. How has this strategy worked for the Sabres so far? Have you not noticed that the same thing keeps happening over and over and over again?

In the Ruff presser he did say Greenway was close. This move is overdue. He's been awful and added nothing. The much heralded new 4th line has been garbage all year. Kozak was better and should be in the line up over these stiffs. Waive Lafferty next.

Oh I think Kulich can definitely be a top 6 player but 1C at this stage is ridiculous. He has things to work on and habits to instill and there's still work to be done. We just keep throwing them in the deep end and hoping they swim. Stupid franchise.

Ruff didn't have anything better to do. He didn't want to be retired yet. He was bored. Opportunity came along and he has a house already there why wouldn't he take the job? If you were him you'd take it too. But he clearly didn't come in with an "I'm doing it my way" attitude like a Tortorella did in Philly. Torts is like I'm doing it this way and if you don't like it don't hire me or fire me I don't give a......... The warning signs were here. Assistants not his choices, none of them. No boot camp. No major player moves removing any deadwood he saw. We started the season the lines were basically the same as Granato hockey. Not much was different. We've seen a few shifts now with players rearranged and he's got Kulich up and Thompson on a wing and there's a few ideas but it's all too little too late. Ruff changed nothing. He's just been a loyal company man so to speak. Hasn't called out anything or rocked the leaking boat at all. Honestly, he might just be padding his retirement funds.

lol, most likely but there's a small part of me that hopes he wakes up in the morning and looks in the mirror and thinks "I just don't get sports at all. Maybe it's time I go to Florida and let somebody else run these things and just let my accountants look at the balance sheets". Ya gotta dream.

I know. Joshua is having a bad idea so that's why I thought they might be willing to toss him in and shed the deal as a mistake. Our 4th line could use him though and maybe a new role new team and all that. Centre back? Another deal? Let them trade with Boston to get Lindholm. They tried to sign him in the off season and he is not working out in Boston. If they could get him to waive his NTC they could get him relatively cheap. Cozens Byram is fine but it's not my preference. I am intrigued with the idea of moving Thompson back to the wing and playing him as the sniper with Petterson. We are moving Kulich ahead too fast imo as we always do.

Okay throw in a draft pick how about that? Joshua is having a bad year that's why I think you could toss him in. Vancouver is interested in Byram that was reported earlier. They are looking for another puck mover as PP2 with Quinn as PP1. Honestly I'm not giving up Kulich or Benson. I would clean house and just leave those 2 if it made sense on the returns but those 2 guys aren't broken yet and they both have major upside. They are the "rookies" I want in my system.